James McAdams and Maggie Moan
James McAdams and Maggie Moan
James McAdams was born in Ireland in 1870 to John McAdams and Catherine Trainnis. In 1892, James married Margaret Moan. Margaret appears in the 1880 census living on Highland Avenue in Pittsburgh with her mother Mary. Mary, born in Ireland was 45 years old at the time. Margaret, the only other member of the household, was 8 at the time and was born in Pennsylvania. The fact that Mary was listed as the head of household suggests that she was widowed at that point. Source: 1880 Federal Census for Allegheny County, Enumeration District 142, Sheet 1.
GenForum can be a wonderful genealogy resource. Irma Steel posted the following message on the Moan Family Genealogy
Forum:
My great grandparents were Rose Ann Moan and John Cunningham both of whom are also buried at St. Mary's
Cem., section I lot 25. She was born Jan 20 1842 in Armaugh Co. Ireland, died Jan 18, 1904.Came to NY when age 15 (1857. Lived on Butler St. Ext at one point. When I visited the cemetery, I found your Mary (1905) a John (1927) and Patrick (1890) but could not find a connection? Maybe we can find one now. Love to hear from you.
The Marriage License of Margaret Moan and James McAdams appears in the Allegheny County Marriage License Docket, Volume 22. James listed his birth date as February 22, 1870, his occupation as machinist, and his residence as Cleveland, Ohio. Margaret listed her birth date as July 11, 1872, her birthplace as Allegheny County, and her residence as "Butler Street Exn, Pittsburgh." In the 1892-1893 Pittsburgh City Directory there was a listing for "Moan, 
Mary wid Ptk Reservoir av n Butler," so Margaret's father may have been Patrick Moan. Also in the 1892-1893 City Directory is a listing for "McAdam [no 's'] Jas, lab, Butler n Reservoir av." James seems to be using two spellings of the name, "McAdam" and "McAdams" interchangeably. When I noticed this, I began to wonder how common this practice might have been. I had gotten into the habit of skipping over people named "McAdam," thinking that I was only interested in the "McAdams" family. Here is a case of a man being listed by both spellings in the same year. Joe McAdams of The McAdams Historical Society made this observation, "The S is pretty much an American Version of the name McAdam. In the early records in the same documents I have seen it both McAdam and McAdams."
James and Maggie had eight children:
- Francis who was born in Pennsylvania in April 1894. Francis married, Eulalia Koffler. Eulalia was the daughter of Nicholas J. and Victoria Koffler and was born in Pennsylvania in May 1894. Eulalia died on January 20, 1919. Her
obituary read
M'ADAMS - On Monday, January 20, 1919, at 6 a.m. EULALIA M'ADAMS (nee Koffler) beloved wife of Francis J. McAdams.
Funeral from the home of her parents, 1622 Oak street, Carrick, on Thursday, January 22 at 9 a.m. Requiem high mass at St. Mary's Church, Forty-sixth street, Pittsburgh at 10 a.m. Friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend.
Source: The Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Tuesday, January 21, 1919, Page 15
Francis McAdams is shown here in a photograph courtesy of his granddaughter, Judith McAdams Ballweg, [email protected].
Nancy Hightower wrote: Judy Ballwag is my cousin and has told me about your site. It's just
incredible. My mom was Francis Mae McAdams. She was Judy's dad (Lawrence) 1/2 sister. (They had different mothers) My mother died June 26, 1995 in a
car crash in California.
Francis died in 1959. His obituary read:
"McAdams-On Sunday, Dec. 20, 1959, Francis J. McAdams of 607 Grandview Avenue. Beloved husband of Victoria McAdams, father of Mrs. Frances Burges of California, Major Lawrence F. and Robert J. McAdams. Also survived by 5 grandchildren. Friends
received at the parlor of Wm. Slater & Sons, Virginia Avenue and Kearsarge St., Mt. Washington until 8:15 a. m. Wed. Dec. 23 Requiem High Mass at St. Mary of the Mount Church at 9 a.m."
Francis is buried at St. Michael's Cemetery, 2729 18th Street Extension, Pittsburgh, 17 Row 8 R.2.
Francis Joseph McAdam's son was Lawrence Francis McAdams (1917-1990), shown here in a picture taken of him in 1935 and supplied by
Judith McAdams Ballweg. Click on the thumbnail to the right to view a larger image.
- Mary was born in Pittsburgh in December 1896. Mary died in July 1906 and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Section N.
- Katherine [June 11, 1897 - July 28, 1975]. Katherine married Harry Hoffeldt [October 17, 1896 - October 18, 1978] in 1916. Katherine and Harry had two daughters, Bett, born about 1917 who married James W. Boynton [November 30, 1910 - June 23, 1975], and Dorothy, [abt. 1922 - August 31, 1949] who married John Eicher and had a daughter named Kathleen.
Dorothy Hoffeldt Eischer died of tuberculosis at the age of 27. Her obituary appeared in the Pittsburgh Press:
EICHER - On Wed. morning, Aug 31, 1949, Dorothy Louise Hoffeldt, wife of John (Jack) Eicher of 8201 Frankstown Ave., mother of Kathleen; daughter of Katherine McAdams and Harry Hoffeldt; sister of Betty Hoffeldt of Miami, Fla. Friends received at the Woples Funeral Home, Baum Blvd. At Graham St., E. E. Requiem high mass at Lady of Our Most High Sacrament Church Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
Dorothy Eischer was the mother of Kathleen Eischer and the grandmother of Pamela Burnett.
Katherine and Harry Hoffeldt, and James Boynton are buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Lawrenceville, Section N.
- Margaret who was born in September 1899.
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Regis who was born in Pittsburgh about 1906. Regis died of epilepsy at the age of 19. He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Section N on January 5, 1926.
- Paul, born about 1910.
- Marcella, born on September 26, 1912. Marcella McAdams Claysmith died in May 1995, in Escondido, CA.
- James Leo, born about 1910. James Leo died of burns and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Section N on December 16, 1914.
James died on April 9, 1918 in Pittsburgh Hospital.
In 1919, Margaret married a man named Louis Geroch who was born in Germany about 1882.
In 1920, Louis and Margaret were living at 7213 Butler Street in Pittsburgh's 10th Ward. Louis, then 38, listed his occupation as baker. Living with them were Regis, 14, Paul, 10, and Marcella, 7. Source: 1920 Federal Census for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Enumeration District No. 473, Page 3A.
Margaret died in 1950. Her obituary appeared in the Pittsburgh, Press, June 18, 1950, page 46:
GEROCK (McAdams) Thursday, June 15, Margaret of 6614 Baker St., mother of Frank, Paul, Mrs. Marcella Claysmith and Mrs. Catherine Hoffeldt, also survived by 8 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Friends received at he Byrne Memorial Home, 701 N. Negley Av. Requiem high mass St. Raphael's Church, Monday at 10 a.m.
Margaret was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery Section N with her husband, James, her mother, Mary Moan [May 1840 -1905].
Copyright � 2000-2006 Nancy McAdams
April 9, 2000
Last update December 16, 2006
Claddagh Set background by: 
James McAdams was born in Ireland in 1870 to John McAdams and Catherine Trainnis. In 1892, James married Margaret Moan. Margaret appears in the 1880 census living on Highland Avenue in Pittsburgh with her mother Mary. Mary, born in Ireland was 45 years old at the time. Margaret, the only other member of the household, was 8 at the time and was born in Pennsylvania. The fact that Mary was listed as the head of household suggests that she was widowed at that point. Source: 1880 Federal Census for Allegheny County, Enumeration District 142, Sheet 1.
